Why doesn’t my homegrown weed smell good?

The following are the common reasons why your homegrown buds smell off. Also, there are tips to fix this problem.

Dried Incorrectly

You are fascinated with how your buds smell during the flowering stage. However, they smell like hay or fresh-cut grass after the drying process. This smell is also called the chlorophyll smell. You will ask, “why does it happen?”. Well, the main reason behind this is the incorrect drying process. The following are the common drying mistakes:

1. Buds are Dried Unevenly

When buds are dried unevenly, they smell like hay, chlorophyll, or fresh-cut grass. It results from drying too fast in a warm place without proper ventilation. Also, when you only dry some part of your buds using a fan while the other section remains moist. Another reason is when the entire plants are hung upside down. The tendency is that the inside part does not dry at the same pace as the outside. Thus, resulting in a hay smell.

2. Exposure to Warm Temperatures and lack of Air Circulation

Another incorrect drying procedure is when your buds are exposed to warm temperatures and uncirculated air. When this happens, mold thrives and will make your buds smell like fresh-cut grass.

3. Buds are Too Close During Curing

When you are curing too many buds in a small container, it creates wet spots against its surface. Also, buds are stacked on top of each other. As a result, it will smell like hay, making your Cannabis buds not appealing anymore.

4. Trimming Buds Without Climate Consideration

Many of you may ask whether to trim your Cannabis buds before or after drying. Buds covered by leaves tend to stay wet during the drying process when growers air-dry them in a humid climate. Thus, they will trim some of the leaves off to prevent buds from soaking during the drying process. However, trimming off your leaves before drying will dry buds quickly in a hot or low humidity level. Since not all strains are leafy, there is not always a benefit to trimming buds before drying.

In conclusion, you have to trim the buds before drying when humid. On the other hand, trim the buds after drying when the climate is hot.

You can read more about how to harvest freshly harvested weed in this post.

Molds

Many cultivators become unwary of mold during harvest time. Thus, they become frustrated when they find it out since they do not have a choice but to toss it away. Aside from its foul smell, it will make your buds harsh and unsafe to smoke.

Cannabis growing in a warm environment allows molds to thrive. As they absorb water and nutrients, they transpire, which promotes humidity. As a result, mold and mildew are likely to occur in your plants. Thus, you have to be vigilant as a grower to maintain the healthy growth of your Cannabis while keeping an eye out for possible molds.

Usually, molds are caused by the lack of airflow, too much high humidity, massive temperature swings, and low nighttime temperature. Aside from that, overwatering can also cause mold, making your growing medium damp.

Bacteria

During the curing process, bacteria growth is very likely to happen. It occurs when buds are too wet after being put inside a jar. Bacteria would attack in a damp and low-oxygen condition.

You may wonder why your buds feel wet after sitting in jars. It is typical for buds that are dry outside to develop moisture since the wetness from the inside of them works its way to go out. Thus, you have to check your buds from time to time to ensure they are dry during the curing process.

If you notice too much moisture on your buds or smell musty ammonia and rotting, you have to remove the buds from the jars. Then, allow some time to dry them before putting them back inside.

Remember, the humidity of your air can adversely affect your buds during the curing process. If you observe dry buds, but the humidity seems high enough to promote bacterial growth, keep the lids off jars for a few hours until humidity decreases. You may consider using a hygrometer to monitor the amount of water vapor or humidity in your jars.

Heat

Another cause of poor-smelling buds is heat. When the environment is too hot, it can lower your buds’ quality, resulting in a foul smell and being harsh to smoke. Any temperature over 85° Fahrenheit (25° Celsius) reduces the quality of your buds. Thus, you have to regulate the temperature when buds start to form until the curing process.